Integrated circuits are made possible by processes which produce intricately patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. Producing patterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods for removal of exposed material. Chemical etching is used for a variety of purposes including transferring a pattern in photoresist into underlying layers, thinning layers, or thinning lateral dimensions of features already present on the surface. Often it is desirable to have an etch process that etches one material faster than another facilitating, for example, a pattern transfer process. Such an etch process is said to be selective to the first material. As a result of the diversity of materials, circuits, and processes, etch processes have been developed with a selectivity towards a variety of materials.
Etch processes utilize different precursors for etching different materials. For example, some etching processes may utilize a fluorine-containing precursor during the etch process, and other etch processes may utilize a hydrogen-containing precursor during the etch process. These chemicals may have different affinities with different materials, and may cause etching or interaction with the components of the chamber. By adjusting the chamber components or providing coatings, different chambers may utilize different precursors for etching.
Thus, there is a need for improved systems and methods that can be used to perform different etch processes with varying precursors. These and other needs are addressed by the present technology.